Jane Flory (nee Trescott) was born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania on June 29, 1917, and spent much of her life in and around Philadelphia. From a young age Flory loved writing and drawing, and attended Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art (now University of the Arts) for illustration. She met Arthur Flory at the Museum School, from which they both graduated in 1939. They married in 1941. Both were active in art education in Philadelphia: Arthur Flory spent much of his life as a faculty member at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Jane Flory directed the evening division of the Philadelphia Museum School from 1958 to 1974.

Shortly after graduating from art school, Flory began publishing stories in magazines. Trained as an illustrator, Flory taught herself to write for children, publishing her first children’s book, Snooty, the Pig Who Was Proud, in 1944. Many of Flory’s books were inspired by the history of Philadelphia, including It Was a Pretty Good Year (1977), about a family of recent immigrants living on Reed Street in South Philadelphia, and The Liberation of Clementine Tipton (1974), about the American Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876.

In 1960, having already written many children’s books for various publishers, Flory signed with Houghton Mifflin. They remained her exclusive publisher until her retirement in 1982. Flory illustrated her own books until the 1970s, when she began occasionally collaborating with illustrator Carolyn Croll. Flory wrote more than thirty-five books, all but three self-illustrated. Flory died December 2, 2005, in Philadelphia.

Bibliography:

Pennsylvania Center for the Book. “Flory, Jane Trescott.” Literary and Cultural Heritage Map of Pennsylvania, accessed February 7, 2012, Pennsylvania State University. Last modified summer 2009. http://www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Flory__Jane_Trescott.html

Something About the Author, vol. 22.

This is a collection of manuscripts, illustrations, and notes by Jane Flory. Documentation is present for a number of Flory's books, including Faraway Dream, The Golden Venture, It Was a Pretty Good Year, The Liberation of Clementine Tipton, Mist on the Mountain, One Hundred and Eight Bells, Peddler's Summer, Ramshackle Roost, A Tune for the Towpath, The Unexpected Grandchildren, and We'll Have a Friend for Lunch. Materials include manuscript drafts, notes and sketches, galley proofs, and correspondence with editors. The collection also includes a handwritten and illustrated manuscript of "This is Farmer John", which was published as Farmer John, and several notebooks containing story outlines, manuscript drafts of stories, and notes on character development and changes to story lines.

This collection is arranged in twelve series, alphabetically by title: 1. Faraway Dream; 2. Farmer John; 3. The Golden Venture; 4. It Was a Pretty Good Year; 5. The Liberation of Clementine Tipton; 6. Mist on the Mountain; 7. One Hundred and Eight Bells; 8. Peddler's Summer; 9. Ramshackle Roost; 10. A Tune for the Towpath; 11. The Unexpected Grandchildren; and 12. We'll Have a Friend for Lunch. Within each series the materials are arranged in probable order of creation.

Publication Information:

Free Library of Philadelphia: Children's Literature Research Collection

Finding Aid Author:

Finding aid prepared by Garrett Boos

Sponsor:

The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project.

Access Restrictions:

This collection is open to researchers by appointment. Please contact the Curator for information on access.

Use Restrictions:

The right of access to material does not imply the right of publication. Permission for reprinting, reproduction, or extensive quotation from the rare books, manuscripts, prints, or drawings must be obtained through written application, stating the use to be made of the material. The reader bears the responsibility for any possible infringement of copyright laws in the publication of such material. A reproduction fee will be charged if the material is to be reproduced in a commercial publication.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

Gift of Jane Flory, 1980.

• Houghton, Mifflin and Company.

• Book jackets
• Correspondence
• Drawings (visual works)
• Dummies (printed matter)
• Galley proofs
• Manuscripts
• Typescripts
• Watercolors (paintings)

• Philadelphia (Pa.)

• Croll, Carolyn
• Flory, Jane, 1917-

• Children's authors--20th century
• Children's literature--20th century
• Illustrated children's books--20th century
• Illustration of books--20th century